On March 12, 2026, the Saudi Organization for Standards, Metrology and Quality (SASO) issued a formal notice to adjust the SASO IEC 62680 series standards that were originally scheduled to be enforced on January 1, 2026 to be officially implemented on May 1, 2026.
Core control requirements
From May 1, 2026, the Saudi market will fully tighten the compliance control of Type-C interfaces, and all related products must strictly comply with two core standards, SASO IEC 62680-1-2:2023(USB power supply specification) and SASO IEC 62680-1-3:2023(Type-C cable and connector specification). The specific control requirements are as follows:
1. Certificate control: Non-compliant products will not be able to obtain COC certificates
All authorized certification bodies will completely stop issuing COC certificates for products that do not meet the above two standards. The COC certificate is the "access certificate" for products to enter the Saudi market. Without the compliance certificate, products will not be cleared by Saudi customs, let alone sold in the local market.
2. Customs clearance control: the old non-compliance certificate is invalid
Saudi customs will no longer approve the shipment certificate based on the application of the old (non-compliant) certificate. This means that even if the enterprise previously held the old certificate, if the product does not meet the new Type-C standard, the subsequent batch of goods will not be able to clear customs smoothly, and may face risks such as cargo detention and additional storage costs.
3. Market supervision: Spot check and upgrade, and increase the punishment
Saudi Arabia will strengthen market spot checks through SABER electronic platform (the official platform of Saudi product safety certification) to realize the traceability and non-tampering of product compliance. Once non-compliant products are found, they will directly face severe penalties such as return, high fines, and sales ban. Enterprises with serious circumstances may also be blacklisted in the Saudi market, which will affect the export of all subsequent products.
Scope of products covered by regulations
The scope of control of this SASO Type-C regulation covers 13 categories of mainstream consumer electronic products. As long as the products involve charging interfaces, the Type-C interfaces must be adopted uniformly and the performance is up to standard. The specific list is as follows, and export enterprises can check themselves against it:
• smartphone
• Tablet computer
• digital camera
• Electronic reader
• Portable game machine
• In-ear headphones/wireless earplugs
• Headphones/headsets
• keyboard
• mouse
• Portable navigation system
• Portable sound box
• wireless router
Note: If the product is sold as a complete set (e.g. mobile phone +Type-C charging cable set), the supporting cables should also meet the corresponding standards. Although it is not compulsory to apply for SABER PCoC certificate for the type-c cables sold separately, compliance test reports should be provided for random inspection.
Corporate compliance advice
1, self-inspection products, clear compliance gap
Check whether the export products are within the control scope according to the list of the above 13 categories of products; Focus on checking whether the charging interface of the product is Type-C, and whether it conforms to the standards of SASO IEC 62680-1-2:2023 and SASO IEC 62680-1-3:2023, and sort out the non-compliance items (such as interface types, substandard performance, etc.).
2. Give priority to completing the test and obtaining the compliance report
Select a professional testing organization recognized by SASO to carry out compliance testing of Type-C interface, and obtain a test report that meets the standards, so as to avoid the situation that certification congestion and certificates cannot be obtained on time near the deadline.
3. Apply for/update COC certificate in time
With the compliance test report, apply for or update the COC certificate from the authorized certification body to ensure that the certificate information is completely consistent with the actual situation of the product and avoid the failure of customs clearance due to the inconsistency of the certificate information.
4. Establish a long-term compliance mechanism
Saudi laws and regulations are updated frequently, and market supervision continues to tighten. It is suggested that enterprises establish a compliance tracking mechanism and pay close attention to the official developments of SASO in time; At the same time, compliance requirements should be integrated in the product development and production stages in advance, so as to avoid increasing costs and delaying shipment due to later rectification.
Warm tips
The extension of this regulation is not to relax the control, but to leave the final adjustment time for enterprises that have not completed the compliance rectification. ZRLK suggests that relevant export enterprises seize the final buffer period, accurately check the hidden dangers of product compliance according to the latest standards of SASO IEC 62680 series, complete the tests with SASO accredited laboratories in advance, update COC certificates in time, and avoid the risks of customs clearance and market spot checks. Our company has a professional technical team and rich experience in product testing, which can help enterprises enter the target market in compliance with regulations. If you need it, please feel free to contact us, and our engineers will serve you at the first time!
